National Republican., 1887-08-22
Not Tenahle Ground.


The New York World correspondent has
found new point of attack on the District
commissioners, but it is not tenable one,
as the commissioners, with all their assump
tion Of authority, will hardly attempt to
overrule decision OF the supreme court OF
the District, as the World wants them TO do,
so that the banks In the District cGn be
taxed. The Worlds arithmetic, or that OF
Mr.. Fish, II it quotes from him, is seriously
at fault when it makes twenty.four times
$4,000 into "nearly seven and half mil
lions" which is more than ten times the
correct figure.
Perhaps the World correspondent is try
ing to aid the commissioners by raising
issues that are not tenabe to distract at
teIiion from those that are. As to Mr..
Riddle, the attorney for the District, Of
course she is particularly offensive to Dem
ocfats in the District" as any other Repub
iican, such as Mr.. Riddle is, would be. Il
the World correspondent knew anything at
all, which evidently he does not, he would
know that former District commissioners
have exhausted legal remedies q to the taxa
tion Of railways in the dty. However, we
give our readers the benefit Of what ihe
World has to say:
Quite stir has been crca.ei Ia oliai Il ci
cl,s by the publication oc latcr addressed -
the commissioners of the District Of II imy!i
by X. a. Fish, assessor ui the District. in regtrG
TO the payment Of taxes BY the national biuS
ofthe city OF Washington. From this letter It
appears that these banks have never pii / i
it,tn ,i,a trna 1p4 ia,
the assessment lists show that $500 vcr al.
mum has been du5 for the past twentj-fou
years. making an arr'arlIr Oi nearly seven
and half millions, not inclTding iu:erct a II
Jennties accrning under the law. Mr. FI,g
enters into details ana very naturally NsS, tt,
reasons why, on entering into the oliHe u
which be has been only rect nlly app0iutci I.
he iound these taxes Unplit.
The commissiOue referred this letter to the
at,6 rney Of the District who, being abseut on
l. ave, his assistant aud son-in Law, Mr.. Davis
ifumIs up the proceedings of an allege | I -
Gaze, which is said to have been pu Up ] i,
of some eight years egN. Pfoof Of this ass1,-
ton Is shown in the iact that the attorney If
the District, Mr., Riddle, did not carry the cas-
10 the Supreme Court OF the United Sta. =
where the judgment of the lower court, in tn
opinion Of many, would have been reversed.
, livery CilOrI mas Deen made 10 nave KIDD g
tursed out of the office. He IL particularly
offensive 10 Democrats in the District. The
commissioners have been appealed to by
prominent residents of every sect aud party -
mrke change in the Office.
Not only the rational banks have ESCAPED,
but all The banks and banking firms h ave been
6ble 10 stayc of their taxes. The same C m be
| said Of all tie railroad, steamboat, aui other
| large business corporations of the District. H.
is very easy under thsSe circumstances to uu.
| detstand the high price at wh!ch shares are
| quoted in the Washington papers, when these
| institutions ray no taxes, and thus have the
| advantage over their tsXpaying fellow c ,un,
trymCn in paying high dividends aud pllllG
| up u large surplus, in great part due to u l>ng
continued and highly successful swindle oi
the government by escaping the payment ot
taxes legally and morally due.